Found Parts Could Reveal What Went Wrong In Buffalo, NY Plane Crash

CLARENCE, N.Y. (AP) - Investigators have located key components that might help reveal how the pilot responded during the final seconds before a commuter plane crashed last week in suburban Buffalo, N.Y.

Investigators have located the steering column, all the propeller blades, five of six deicing valves and rubber bladders designed to protect the tail from ice.

The aircraft went into a 26-second plunge before smashing into a house, killing 49 people on the plane and one on the ground.

The cause remains elusive because there was no distress call from the pilot, no mechanical failure has been identified and the plane was so severely damaged. Icing has emerged as one possibility.

Meanwhile, families of the victims visited the site for the first time and placed roses to remember the dead. And more than 2,000 people, including relatives of the victims, turned out for a community prayer service Monday.